Method of forming books



F. J. LEYERLE Nov. 2, 1937.

Filed April 13, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nova 2, 1937. J LEYERLE 2,097,888

METHOD OF FORMING BOOKS Filed April 15, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Fran/r J. Leger/e HIS ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 2 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT orrics 2,097,888 7 A METHOD OF FORMING BooKs Frank J. Leyerle, Mechanicsville, N. Y. ApplicationAprilB, 1935, Serial No; 16,122 1 claim. (01. 1 1-1 The invention relates to permanently bound books and a method for making same.

Books of the fiat-opening type areillustrated and described but other styles of books are not precluded as the invention is applicable to books of various character. The flat-opening books particularly shown are of the type wherein the sheets and covers may be swung substantially 360 as in a stenographers notebook.

In accordance with the present invention the collection of sheets and covers of the book is provided with a series of preformed perforations adjacent one of their edges. Binding Wires or staples are passed through said perforations and formed into ring-like shapes while being passed through the perforations. After being introduced and formed they are held in position by the forming dies or other suitable means and are electrically welded in position. One of the important features of the present invention is the fact of the binding means being electrically welded after the insertion thereof into the book.

Due to the electric welding the ring binding of books made in accordance with the present inven- 5 tion is of an absolute rigid and integral formation. This makes for a strong and firm construction and one that insures against any of the sheets escaping from the bound book.

The welded construction also provides per- 0 fectly smooth junctions thus making for an exceedingly neat and good looking book and one in which the sheets may be turned with the greatest of ease as there is no possibility of any obstructions being encountered.

35 In a number of types of ring binders the inherent resiliency of the metal is relied upon to maintain the binding means in its closed position. Therefore a comparatively hard wire must be used. Wire of this kind is hard to work and more costly 40 to use. By virtue of the electrically Welded structure a softer and less expensive wire is advantageously utilized.

By the use of substantially true rings there will be no offset between the opposed sheets when 45 opened flatwise. A less number of perforations may be used and they may be spaced in any desired manner. In addition the sheets may be turned as freely and easily in one direction as in the other and the ring binding of the present 50 invention will not be distorted with ordinary handling.

Books such as stenographers notebooks, composition books or other notebooks for students use must retail at a low price. Economies in 55 production are therefore essential and the present invention, in addition to producing agood appearing and excellently made book, particularly has this in mind.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this specification proceeds. Referring b to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and in which preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated:

welding have been omitted;

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional View, the'forming and welding instrumentalities being indicated in broken lines;

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view showing the book in its finished condition;

Fig. 6 is an elevational view, a substantial part of the body of the book being broken away; I

Fig. 7 is a similar view of a modified construction; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective detail sectional view of "another form of the invention. 0

Referring again to the drawings and particular 3 1y to Figs. 1 to 6 the reference numeral l0 designates diagrammatically a stepped assembling table to which collections of sheets H, [2 and 13 are automatically fed in the direction of the arrows l4. While three collections of sheets are illustrated a greater or less number might be employed, the number of such collections depending upon the ultimate thickness of the book being manufactured.

At the rear edge of the assembling table are located standard punch presses l5. It will be noted the middle collection of sheets I2 is positioned on the assembling table somewhat forwardly of the collections II and I3. The piercing members of the punch presses l5 for the collection of sheets H and I3 are in line. Thus in their assembled relation as particularly shown in Fig. 4 the perforations N5 of the two outside groups of sheets are in line with each other and those of the middle group are offset in relation thereto. This arrangement as more particularly described hereinafter greatly facilitates the entering or insertion of the binding means. It will also be noted that the two covers I! are placed at the bottom of the third group of sheets [3 and the purpose of this arrangement will become apparent hereinafter. Dividing the book or pad into a number of groups or collections of sheets is also conducive to better results as far as the punching is concerned as it is well known a thinner collection of sheets may be more effectively and advantageously punched than a collection of sheets of substantial thickness.

The assembling table is provided with ,automatic paper transfer means which comprises reciprocating slides [8. After the collections of sheets have been punched they are moved into superimposed relation to each other to the sta tion indicated at 20. Here they are finally positioned between guides 2| and 22, held in position by a paper clamp diagrammatically indicated at 23, and moved to the station 24 where'the automatic forming and electric welding of the binding means takes place. The instrumentalities for the forming and electric welding may be widelyvaried and areindicated schematically at 25 in Figs. 1 and 4.

The binding means illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6 comprises a staple 3 0 of-conventional form hav ing leg portions 3i and a connecting portion 32.

' Obviously any desired spacing may be obtained by varying the length of the connecting portions :32 and by varying the distance between the staples.

,In the operation a standard stapling head is ,used to form the leg portionsof the staples into ring-like formation. As indicated in Fig. 2 the staple isforced upwardly in the direction of the arrow 33 and'dies 3 d shown diagrammatically in Fig. 4 force the leg-portions through the staggered perforations l6 and form theminto rings. It will be apparent from an inspection of Fig.4 that the oifset relation of the perforations of the middle groupof sheets in respect tot he upper and lower groups greatly facilitatesthe passage of the staples through said perforations.

While the staples areheld in place by the stapling head or forming dies the ends of the legportions 3| are .electricallywelded.at.35 to the connecting portions, 32. .One of the electrodes 36 as indicated in Fig. i may. be-introducedflbetween the end of the pad and the staple andiacts as a support for the staple when the other electrode as indicated by the arrows 31 in Fig 3 and broken lines 37 in-Fig. 4 is entered to make the .weld.

After the weld hasbeen completedthe lower cover I! is swung around substantially 360 and the connecting portions 32 of the staples lie between this cover and the collection of sheets as shown in Fig. 5. Thus when the book is closed only the rings are visible which greatly enhances the appearance of the book. Obviously the same results would prevail if the two covers 5? were placed on top of the first collection I! as when placed on bottom of the collection I3. After the book has been completed and is handled or jogged slightly the sheets will assume an even and symmetrical appearance substantially as illustrated ,in Fig. 5. In Fig. 6 the staples or binding rings are shown in the position they would assume after the weld has been completed and before .the cover IT has been swung around.

other and to the connecting member at 43.

Fig. 8 illustrates another form in which staples .59 are passed through apertures in a flanged plate 5| and are electrically welded at 52 to the flanges of said plate. The plate may be secured in any suitable manner to the back of a book.

The collection of sheets has been omitted in this View.

Changes in details of construction and arrangements of parts such as would occur to one skilled in the art are to be considered as coming within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claim.

I Qla m; A method of forming a permanently bound bookifrorn a collection of sheets having aligned registering perforations' along the edge to be bound, saidmethodcomprising forming the free ends: of a staple-shaped binding wire into rings, pas 'ng said free ends through a pair of said perforations adjacent one side of said book as said free ends are being formed into rings, weldingthe extremities of said free ends tothe connecting portion of said staple-shaped binding .wire while they are being held in position by said forming meajn s and successively treating other staple-shaped binding wires in an identical manner until the binding is completed. FRANK J. LEYERLE. 

